KARL ANDRE TERBLANCHE

Bulletin 7

20 February 2006
If ever you reach S Daddy's "Germ Stone" stall on the road to Uis from the coast, you will be confronted with a number of choices. Quite simply put they are to follow the tourist route or to explore the less frequented area of the Brandberg massive. This is Namibias highest mountain on the edge of the Namib Desert. We chose the less frequented side.

It is a hot place, with rough tracks and roads at best. As always though the area is best appreciated on foot, so grab some water and start walking and climbing. You will be amazed at what this seemingly barren inhospitable area has too offer.

Small birds are heard and seen in the sparse grass and boulders all around. The sky offers any one who looks up spectacular views of vultures, kites eagles and a number of smaller raptors. The rocks come alive with geckos and lizards and even snakes like horned adders can be found soaking up the morning sun.

On the boulder strewn plains around the base of the mountain a host of mammals are quite readily seen. We saw Oryx, Mountain Zebra, Kudu, Springbok, Steenbok, Dassies and a young rabbit keeping very low and still. All the while we only saw one other person.

Thank you to Herbert Schier for showing me something I would have probably over looked in favour of one of the game parks.
S Daddy's "GERM STONE" stall at the road side to Uis and the Brandberg. The business chair is hanging up on the road sign. The Brandberg is visible in the background.
NAMIB DAY GECKO, Rhoptropus afer

This one actually came scuttling over and took a good long look at me.
VALLEY ON THE SOUTHERN SIDE OF THE BRANDBERG MASSIVE.

We saw one car in that entire area and I loved the isolation.
BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE-EAGLE, Circaetus pectoralis

Depicted with part of the Brandberg in the background.
BLACK-CHESTED SNAKE EAGLE, Circaetus pectoralis

This was not the only sighting over a two day period.
BENGUELA LONG BILLED LARK, Certhilauda benguelensis

Scanning the sky while collecting nesting material.

With all the raptor activity going on in the sky above, I would have also been slightly nervous.
BLACK KITE, Milvus migrans

There were hundreds of kites all over the place. When it rains black kites and yellow billed kites gather in large numbers and feed on emerging termites.
HORNED ADDER, Bitis caudalis

What a find for the morning! This little adder was sunning itself in the early morning light. Lying just in front of a flat rock it was extremely difficult to see while walking about.
BRANDBERG SUNSET
PART OF THE BRANDBERG AT SUNSET